Updated June 9! Als news cont! Wow! Coach Mike Sherman fired!

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media. Anthony Calvillo and Ryan Dinwiddie promoted co-offensive coordinators.

Montreal, September 5, 2015 – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Saturday that Turk Schonert has been relieved of his offensive coordinator duties and will be replaced by Anthony Calvillo and Ryan Dinwiddie, who will act as co-offensive coordinators.

"After taking over the head coaching job two weeks ago, I have had a better chance to evaluate the coaching staff and how they best work together. I have had conversations with owner Bob Wetenhall during this period, and extensive conversations over the last 24 hours," said Alouettes General Manager and Head Coach Jim Popp.

"I feel it is in the best interest of our organization moving forward, to make a change at the offensive coordinator position, and to relieve coach Turk Schonert of his duties. Though we have had injuries and challenges at the quarterback position, we feel we should be getting better production on the scoreboard and better use of the talented group of athletes that have been assembled," added Popp.

"I feel it is the right time for a change and best to give others a chance to deliver now and start the building process for the future. Coaches Anthony Calvillo and Ryan Dinwiddie will be promoted as Co-Offensive Coordinators. Calvillo will be the game day play-caller.They will collaborate together, along with our other offensive coaches, in hopes to find a solution to our inept scoring woos and bring new ideas to our passing game. Being a coach is not easy. There are a lot of personal sacrifices in this tough business. We thank Coach Schonert for his hard work, ideas, and contribution over the last year."

Dinwiddie was named the Alouettes offensive coordinator during training camp last season and he helped the team turn the season around and reach the Eastern Final following a 1-7 start. This season, he was the team's running backs' coach and his protégé Tyrell Sutton currently sits second in the CFL with 570 rushing yards, despite missing a game. The team currently sits second in the CFL with 1,225 rushing yards.

Calvillo is pro football's all-time leading passer with 79,816 yards during his 20-year CFL career, including 16 with the Alouettes. He started the 2015 season as the Alouettes receivers' coach before being named the quarterback's coach two weeks ago. As the receivers' coach he helped S.J. Green sit in second place in the CFL in receiving yards following the first nine weeks of the season. As the quarterback, he has been heavily involved with game planning and play calling throughout his illustrious career.

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media! The Alouettes annual hospital visits bring smiles to many kids!

Montreal, October 6, 2015 – While they are in the thick of the fight for a playoff spot, the Montreal Alouettes players and personnel generously visited the hospitalized children and their families Tuesday, at the CHU Sainte Justine, the Montreal Children's Hospital and the Shriners Hospital for Children in Montreal. In this emotionally-charged day, the players of the Montreal Alouettes can say mission accomplished as they have put smiles on many kids today, all while providing support to the families in these difficult times.

"Year after year, the day of children's hospitals visits is a a very special day for our players and the team personnel. We are very privileged to come together and partake in such community events, said team President and CEO Mark Weightman, who ardently wished to participate in the hospital visits to offer his support. "Our players and coaches are very aware of their role in the imagination of these young people and their families. I am very proud of the dedication of our players, for whom these visits represent real courage and perseverance lessons."

Divided into three groups, each including members from the coaching staff, cheerleaders and team mascot Touché!, the Alouettes players met with over 200 hospitalized children and their families to encourage and support them in the fight of their lives. In addition to words of encouragement, the Alouettes took this opportunity to hand out gifts, sign autographs and have their pictures taken with the children and their families.

‘It is a very special feeling to have the opportunity to meet these kids and their families. I believe this visit will be engraved in our memories and those of these kids for a very long time", explained rookie kicker Boris Bede, who experienced his first ever hospital with the Alouettes. "We are very lucky to be apart of this event and share these memories with the kids. There ambition and character is simply incredible, added Bede."

Playing a leading role in the community continues to be a priority for the Montreal Alouettes. Players visit kids in schools every year through the Together at School with the Alouettes program, as they encourage Quebec students to achieve success in the classroom as well as in their personal lives. The team is also involved in several initiatives to support amateur football in Quebec.

Photos and videos of the hospital visits will be available to the media on the team's Dropbox at MontrealAlouettes.com/media.
Credit : Alouettes de Montréal - Rogerio Barbosa.

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media! Alouettes making a difference on Thanksgiving!
      
Montreal, October 7, 2015 - In what has become a Thanksgiving tradition for the Alouettes, several players will make their way to The Welcome Hall Mission to serve a holiday meal immediately following their game against the Toronto Argonauts on Monday at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.
 
Nicolas Boulay, Kyries Hebert, Stefan Logan, Jonathan Crompton, Tanner Marsh, Nik Lewis, Samuel Giguère, Jean-Christophe Beaulieu, Dominique Ellis, Brandon Rutley and Brian Brikowski will make their way to the homeless shelter starting from 5:30 p.m. and join forces with Welcome Hall Mission staff and fellow volunteers in providing warm meals to Montreal's homeless.
 
What: Alouettes players serving over 300 Thanksgiving meals to Montreal's homeless
 
When: Thanksgiving Monday, October 12 at 5:30 p.m.
 
Where: The Welcome Hall Mission, 1490 Saint-Antoine Ouest, Montreal

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media. Montreal, October 8, 2015 – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Thursday that the club has added seven players to the practice roster, including international receivers Johnathan Bryant, Jerry Rice Jr. and Jonathon Rumph, as well as national receiver Kelvin Muamba. The team also added international cornerback Will Brown and international offensive lineman Vincent Brown.

Vincent Brown (6'5", 301 lbs.) played three seasons with the Southern Mississippi University Golden Eagles, playing at both tackle positions before transferring to Pittsburg State University where the 24-year old Miami, FL native helped the Gorillas' offence put up an average of 35.5 points per game. The team amassed 1,977 rushing yards and 3,986 passing yards that season.

Will Brown (6'1", 190 lbs.) was signed as a rookie free-agent by the Tennessee Titans this past August after a brilliant collegiate career with the Missouri S&T Miners where the cornerback collected 124 tackles, eight interceptions and 42 knockdowns. The 24-year-old had an impressive senior season, amassing 57 tackles while pilfering seven passes, including one for a touchdown, while defending 20 passes in 2014. The Hazelwood, MO native earned All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honours following his junior and senior seasons.

Bryant (5'9", 179 lbs.) was at the Alouettes training camp this summer, where the young receiver caught three passes for 58 yards and a major, while returning a punt for 34 yards in the team's first pre-season game. He scored a touchdown on a two-yard run in the team's second game, while returning two kickoffs for 35 yards. In 43 games with the Georgia Southern University Eagles, he amassed 882 receiving yards while scoring three touchdowns on 39 catches. The Cairo, GA native also rushed for 932 yards on 115 carries, adding six rushing majors. Throughout his collegiate career, the 26-year-old returned nine kickoffs for 158 yards as well as 18 punts for 145 yards.

Muamba (6'1", 210 lbs.) played for the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks for three seasons, where he caught 57 passes for 621 yards and one touchdown. The young receiver who grew up in Montreal-North had his best season in 2013 when he made 36 receptions good for 418 yards. He also recorded 65 yards on four catches in one playoff game. He is the brother of Alouettes recently-signed linebacker Henoc.

Rice Jr. (5'11", 185 lbs.) most recently was a member of the Washington Redskins. He  tore his labrum during the team's 2014 training camp and was waived by the team this past May. The Atherton, CA native also had NFL workouts with the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers following his college career at UCLA and UNLV, where he played his senior year in 2013, catching 11 passes for 66 yards. The 24-year-old completed his collegiate career with 20 receptions good for 135 yards in 20 games.

Rumph (6'5", 218 lbs.) attended training camp with the New York Jets this year as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Georgia, playing in three of the team's pre-season games. In five games for the Bulldogs in his senior season, the 23-year-old made 11 catches for 176 yards and scored a touchdown. Prior to joining the Bulldogs, the Cayce, SC native amassed 1,347 yards and seven touchdowns on 87 catches with Holmes Community College.

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media. Alouettes acquire Brandon Smith, add two to practice roster!

Montreal, October 10, 2015 – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Saturday that the team has claimed international defensive back Brandon Smith from the BC Lions practice roster and has been added to the club's active 46-man roster.

Smith (6'1", 210 lbs.) spent time with the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys following his college career with the Arizona State University Sun Devils. The 28-year-old played as a receiver with the Sun Devils before the Packers played him at cornerback. He signed with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent coming out of college.

The Alouettes also announced that the team has added international defensive backs Mycal Swaim and Lavelle Westbrooks to the practice roster.

Swaim (6'4", 215 lbs.) played for the Eastern Michigan University Eagles for two seasons, where he cumulated 101 tackles in 20 games, while forcing a fumble. The Chico, CA native had previously played at Butte Community College where he led the team with 64 tackles in his second year. He also played guard on the school's basketball team. He had joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent.

Westbrooks (6'0", 185 lbs.) was drafted in the seventh round (252nd total) by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2014, following a brilliant college career with the Georgia Southern University Eagles where the 23-year-old athlete amassed 167 tackles in four seasons while adding seven interceptions, including one for a touchdown. The Riverdale, GA native also registered 20 knockdowns. He was also a member of the Buffalo Bills.

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report below direct from Als media just now! Alouettes acquire veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn!
 
Montreal, October 14, 2015 – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Wednesday that the club acquired veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn from the Saskatchewan Roughriders in exchange for the team's fifth round pick in the 2016 CFL Canadian Draft.

Glenn (5'10", 205 lbs.) is currently in his 15th season in the CFL, making his start in the league in 2001 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He also played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Calgary Stampeders and BC Lions.

In 248 career games, the 36-year-old amassed 45,510 passing yards, completing 3,455 of his 5,542 attempted passes, including 248 for touchdowns. He also added 1,712 rushing yards on 361 carries, scoring 12 rushing touchdown. In 2007, he helped the Winnipeg Blue Bombers reach the Grey Cup. He also led the Calgary Stampeders to the 100th Grey Cup in 2012.

"By acquiring Kevin, it gives us a veteran leader at the QB position at a key time as we pushed for a playoff spot," said Alouettes General Manager and Head Coach Jim Popp.

In nine games with the Roughriders this season, the Detroit, MI native completed 171 of 257 passes for 2,174 yards, while throwing nine touchdown passes.

Kevin Glenn and Jim Popp will be available for the media at the team's football operations office at Olympic Stadium at 1:00 p.m. today (entrance through 4549 Pierre-de-Coubertin).

Charles Rooke
 

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media. Alouettes trade Mike Edem to Tiger-Cats!

Montreal, October 14, 2015 – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Wednesday that the club has traded national defensive back Mike Edem to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in exchange for the team's sixth round pick in the 2016 CFL Canadian Draft and a conditional seventh round pick in 2017.

Edem was the team's first round pick (third overall) in the 2013 draft. Later that year, he played all 18 games with the Alouettes, collecting 49 defensive tackles, including five sacks, as well as nine special teams tackles, en route to being voted the Alouettes rookie of the year. In three seasons in Montreal, he played 39 games.

"We thank Mike Edem for his three years of service with the Alouettes. Mike's hard work and passion for the game will continue to help him have success with his new team," said Alouettes General Manager and Head Coach, Jim Popp.

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report below direct from Als media. Lavarias and Smith undergo season-ending surgery.

Montreal, October 19, 2015 – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Monday that international defensive end Aaron Lavarias and international defensive back Brandon Smith have undergone season-ending surgeries.

Lavarias, who injured himself in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game against Hamilton, had surgery to repair a lower left leg fracture.

As for Smith, he had surgery on a dislocated right wrist following an injury sustained in the first quarter. He was playing his first game in an Alouettes uniform.

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media. Alouettes back current coaching staff, introduce stability for 2016.
Montreal, November 9, 2015 – Montreal Alouettes President and CEO Mark Weightman announced during the team's annual post-mortem on Monday that Jim Popp will return as Head Coach of the Club in 2016.  Coordinators Anthony Calvillo, Noel Thorpe and Kavis Reed were also confirmed to be returning to the team's coaching staff for next season.

"Following a thorough and structured review and decision making process that included Jim Popp, Bob Wetenhall and Andrew Wetenhall, and myself, we came to a unanimous conclusion that the right personnel was already in place and the missing ingredient was stability. Jim and his coaching staff showed some real progress in the latter stages of the 2015 season, and we are confident this progression will continue into next year. Our defense under Noel Thorpe has been consistently strong, our special teams have excelled under Kavis Reed, and our offense also made some significant progress late in the season under the guidance of Anthony Calvillo. The multiple changes we have experienced on our coaching staff in recent years have created additional challenges for our team, and have limited our ability to progress and to have the success that is synonymous with Alouettes football," said Alouettes President and CEO Mark Weightman.

"I am humbled and thankful for being offered the position of head coach. We need to continue on the path of stability and harmony," declared Alouettes General Manager and Head Coach, Jim Popp. "Securing our coordinators and building with this talented team is the step in the right direction."

"Since losing Marc Trestman to the NFL and Anthony Calvillo to retirement, we have not established consistency in our leadership or offensive identity. The organization is partly responsible, having initiated too much change in too short a time. We've had 3 head coaches and 6 offensive coordinators in 3 years. Adding our unfortunate injury experience at the QB position, we haven't delivered consistency to our players or on the field.  We are confident that with this decision, 2016 will return the Alouettes to the top of the league," added Weightman.

Fans didn't miss a beat
Even though the team did not perform up to expectations on the field in 2015, the fans showed their unconditional support for their team as the Alouettes had one of the highest attendance increases in the CFL, with a 3.5% increase over 2014. The organization's Fan Centric strategy enhanced the game-day experience at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium with new initiatives such as tailgates, pre-game parties, the Fan Zone, happy hour and new in-stadium entertainment, to which fans responded very favourably.

Alouettes broadcasts on RDS have also increased, attracting 6.28% more viewers than in 2014. 

Despite the disappointing end to the season on the field, the "Early Bird" campaign for season-ticket renewals has had very positive results, even surpassing expectations.

About the Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes have a rich history. Founded in 1946, the team has engraved its name on the Grey Cup seven times, emblematic of supremacy in the Canadian Football League, with the two most recent times being 2009 and 2010. Home games are played at Percival-Molson Memorial stadium, alongside Mount Royal.

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media!
Montreal, December 8, 2015 – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Tuesday that Greg Quick is returning to the organization and has signed on as the team's linebacker coach.

Quick occupied the same position with the team in 2014. That year, he saw his protégé Bear Woods amass an impressive total of 89 defensive tackles, including seven sacks, in only 12 games, which resulted in him being the finalist for the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player as well as being selected a CFL All Star. That season, the Alouettes defence led the League with 48 turnovers.


This past season, Quick was the Saskatchewan Roughriders' defensive coordinator and saw rookie linebacker Jeff Know Jr. get the nod as the team's most outstanding rookie, defensive player and player following a season where he collected a team-high 114 defensive tackles, which was good for second place in the CFL.


Quick, who has been coaching since 1979, spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons as the Toronto Argonauts' linebackers coach.


Coaches returning
The Alouettes coaching staff for the 2016 season is starting to take shape, as the following coaches have already signed on for the next season:

Noel Thorpe: Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator

Kavis Reed:  Elevated to Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator

Anthony Calvillo:  Offensive Coordinator and Quarterback Coach

Kris Sweet:  Offensive Line Coach

Keith Willis: Defensive Line Coach

Greg Quick: Linebacker Coach

From Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media. Montreal, December 9, 2015 –The Canadian Football League unveiled its 2015 CFL All-Stars on Wednesday, which saw defensive end John Bowman, running back Tyrell Sutton as well as linebacker Winston Venable make the list. This is a first nomination for both Sutton and Venable, while Bowman also received the nod in 2010.

Defensive end: JOHN BOWMAN (2nd selection)
CFL All-Star: 2010, 2015
The 10-year veteran had a 2015 season to remember as his brilliance was once again recognized throughout the League with his second career CFL All-Star selection. He had the most successful season of his remarkable career, giving headaches to opposing quarterbacks with a total of 19 sacks, good for first overall in the CFL. He added another career-high 46 defensive tackles. He was a key factor on a defensive unit that recorded 55 sacks in 2015. The 33-year-old earned a place among the CFL's Top Performers for week 20, when had his best outing of the season with three sacks and two defensive tackles. His first sack of the game allowed him to hit the 100-career mark, a select club, which is comprised of only ten players.

Running back: TYRELL SUTTON (1st selection)
CFL All-Star: 2015
Tyrell Sutton was dominant throughout the entire 2015 season, finishing atop the CFL with an impressive total of 1,059 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns on 180 carries. In his third season with the Alouettes, Sutton's speed and poise allowed him to become a dual threat for the Alouettes' offensive squad. The 28-year-old running back added 334 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 43 receptions. Throughout the season he also supported an offensive line that allowed a league-low 33 sacks.

Linebacker: WINSTON VENABLE (1st selection)
CFL All-Star: 2015
In his first complete season as a starter, Winston Venable terrorized offensive units across the CFL, as he amassed an impressive total of 104 defensive tackles, which allowed him to finish first on the Alouettes and third in the CFL in that category. The 28-year-old also collected five quarterback sacks while forcing a fumble and knocking down three passes. His input helped the Alouettes defence surrender a mere 21.9 points per game all while sacking opposing quarterbacks 48 times during the course of the season, good for second place in the CFL. He had his best outing against the Toronto Argonauts on October 12, when he amassed 11 defensive tackles including a sack.

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report below dirext from Als media. Noel Thorpe to continue with Alouettes in 2016.

Montreal, December 21, 2015 – The Montreal Alouettes confirmed on Monday that Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach Noel Thorpe will continue with the team in those same functions in 2016. 

Thorpe will be in his fourth year as the team's defensive coordinator. He was also the Alouettes special teams coordinator from 2002 to 2007.

"After speaking with Mark Weightman, Jim Popp and Andrew Wetenhall, I am confident moving forward that we addressed any miscommunication that we may have had. I am proud to be a part of the Alouettes organization and look forward to focusing our efforts on the 2016 season," declared Thorpe.

As he has maintained all along, General Manager and Head Coach Jim Popp is happy to see Thorpe continue with the organization.

"We have received great news today. We can now put all of this behind us and move forward. We never wavered and have always believed that we could come to this conclusion," said Popp. "We can all agree that if we keep a better line of communication open, then we can avoid situations like this one. Noel is, and will continue to be, a valuable commodity to our success in Montreal. We look forward to building off the positives and taking it to another level for the 2016 season."

"Noel is a very important part of our organization, and our long-term commitment to him is a testament in itself of how strongly we feel about him. His success as a Defensive Coordinator and his potential to someday be an excellent Head Coach are among the reasons why we chose to insist on stability on our coaching staff this off-season, as we wish to build with him into 2016 and beyond" added Alouettes President and C.E.O. Mark Weightman.

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media.

Bolduc and Stewart returning to Alouettes coaching staff, Hogan added!

Montreal, December 23, 2015 – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Wrdnesday that coaches André Bolduc and Anwar Stewart will return to the team's coaching staff in 2016 in the positions of Special Teams Assistant Coach and Defensive End Coach respectively. The club also announced that Montrealer Jason Hogan will join the staff as the team's Offensive Quality Control Coach.


André Bolduc – Special Teams Assistant Coach (third season with the Alouettes)

The natural association between André Bolduc and the Alouettes will continue in 2016, as the Quebec-native coach will work closely with Kavis Reed as the team's Special Teams Assistant Coach. Bolduc completed the last season as the team's Receivers Coach, the position he played during his six-year CFL career from 1996 to 2001. Under his tutelage, S.J. Green had the fifth 1,000 receiving yard season of his career and was named a CFL East Division All-Star. His former protégé at Université de Sherbrooke Samuel Giguère had his most productive campaign in the CFL as he scored four touchdowns. The former Vert et Or head coach from 2007 to 2011 had returned to the Alouettes in 2014 as an offensive assistant coach. As a player, he was a receiver for the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Edmonton Eskimos, before completing his career in Montreal from 1998 to 2001, where he was named the team's special teams captain.

Anwar Stewart – Defensive End Coach and Defensive Quality Control (third season with the Alouettes)

Following a brilliant 13-year CFL career as a player, Anwar Stewart will coach the team's defensive ends in 2016, i.e. the position at which he left his mark during his playing career, as well as continue to be the team's Defensive Quality Control Coach. Stewart began his coaching career with the Alouettes in 2014 as the team's Defensive Quality Control Coach. The numerous seasons he spent terrorizing opposing quarterbacks as a player and his knowledge of defensive strategies have contributed to make the team's defence one of the most feared in the CFL. A Grey Cup champion in 2002, 2009 and 2010, Stewart played for the Alouettes for eleven seasons and ranks second on the team's all-time sack list with 66, second only to his former teammate and protégé John Bowman (102). Elected the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive player in 2004, the 38-year old coach was elected a CFL All-Star in 2004 and 2009.

Jason Hogan – Offensive Quality Control Coach (first season with the Alouettes)

The young Montrealer who was the head coach of the Curé-Antoine-Labelle high school Loups in 2015 is very familiar with the Alouettes coaching staff as well as its offensive coordinator as he helped set up the Anthony Calvillo Leadership Academy for Quarterbacks last winter and also organized the Alouettes Old Dutch Coaching Clinic. He supported the team's coaching staff during the 2015 training camp and for the first two months of the season. The 29-year-old was the Collège André-Grasset Phénix's Offensive Coordinator from 2011 to 2014, following two seasons as the team's Quarterback Coach. In his six seasons as a coach with the Montreal Cegep, he helped the team win three championships.

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media. Kristian Matte signs a new three-year deal!

Montreal, January 11, 2016 – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Monday that offensive lineman Kristian Matte has signed a new three-year deal with the club.

Matte (6'4", 296 lbs.) was the starting left guard for the team's first 17 games in 2015 and started the season finale under centre, replacing injured Luc Brodeur-Jourdain. The Montrealer helped the team's offensive line allow a league-low 33 quarterback sacks, although the team played with seven different quarterbacks. He also helped create holes which allowed running back Tyrell Sutton lead the CFL with 1,059 rushing yards. He did not miss a start the previous two seasons.

"Kristian has developed into the player we projected he would when we drafted him in 2010," said Alouettes General Manager and Head Coach Jim Popp. "He is a solid, versatile contributor on the field and a relentless promoter of Alouettes football in his home town. We have become a better organization by retaining Kristian for the next 3 years."

The 30-year old was drafted in the first round (seventh overall) by the Alouettes in the 2010 CFL Canadian Draft, following a brilliant university career with the Concordia Stingers, which had earned him a contract with the Houston Texans. He then joined the Alouettes and helped them win the Grey Cup during his first season in 2010. He previously played for the Vanier Cegep Cheetahs.

Matte will be available for interviews at today at 1:30 p.m. at James Lyng High School, at 5440 Notre-Dame West in Montreal, where Alouettes players will be taking part in the Together at School program training.

Charles Rooke

[Myk Aussie]

Report direct from Als media.

Montreal, January 13, 2016 – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Wednesday that national fullback Jean-Christophe Beaulieu signed a new three-year deal with the club.

Beaulieu (6'3", 220 lbs.) was the Alouettes starting fullback for all 18 games last season, gaining 65 yards and scoring a touchdown on five catches. The Trois-Rivières, QC native supported the offensive line all season long, helping them allow a league-low 33 sacks on the season, while helping running back Tyrell Sutton lead the CFL with 1,059 rushing yards.

"Jean-Christophe has intrigued us from the day we started scouting him at Sherbrooke. He has continued to grow into his role as a fullback in our offence and put forward relentless effort on special teams," declared Alouettes General Manager and Head Coach Jim Popp. "We look to get him more involved in the offence in 2016, so that we can take advantage of his deceptive speed and running ability."

The Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or product joined the Alouettes in 2014, following the 2014 CFL Canadian Draft where he was selected in the sixth round (49th overall). He also contributed on special teams where he blocked a punt in his rookie season and has cumulated five tackles in two seasons.

Charles Rooke